Recently, with the purpose of preventing global warming, the electric vehicle and the plug-in hybrid vehicle configured to have a battery chargeable from a source outside the vehicle have been developed and entered the stage of practical application. Further, with the purpose of saving time and labor for charging, a technique of automatically connecting an external power source and a vehicle is being studied.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-215211 (PTD 1) discloses a charging system for electric vehicles that enables an electric vehicle to be charged easily. This charging system includes a coil moving apparatus which movably supports an electromagnetic-induction primary coil in a recess made in the floor of a parking lot.